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The Reaction: Middlesbrough 3 Blues 1

Posted:
Tue 08 Apr 2014
Author: Andy Walker

Birmingham City manager Lee Clark's verdict on a frustrating defeat at the Riverside Stadium.

Clark on his side's overall performance...

"The performance was good but, as I've said many times, they've got to be able to do the ugly side of the game. We've been really poor off set plays tonight in terms of giving them opportunities because they scored from one and they'd already given us a warning before that.

"The problem I've got is that you can't legislate for somebody bigger than you out jumping you because if they've got a bigger height advantage then you just have to accept that. But what I can do something about is players not being tight enough, being man-for-man and marking them so we've got to look at that in the next ten days.

"We weren't ruthless enough and it looked to me that we thought that we were that dominant that we could give up chances that we were creating because they thought there'd be lots more coming. But this game has got a habit of biting you on the backside and that's what's happened tonight.

"We've missed great opportunities. We could have scored four or five goals tonight but, on top of that, conceding poor goals has killed us."

Clark on his plans for the next ten days with a fixture-free weekend next up...

"We'd rather be playing this weekend but we've got to use the time wisely now. In the next ten days we've got to put some work into the players in terms of how we can get some results in the remaining games.

"It will be a nail-biting finish to the season and we've shot ourselves in the foot tonight because it was the perfect opportunity for us to get some positive points on the board but we haven't done that."

Clark on Lee Novak's first-half injury...

"It's not looking good at the moment but we will have to assess it. My medical staff will have to wait for the swelling to go down. He (Novak) is a hugely important player for us and I think everybody is starting to realise that."

This game has got a habit of biting you on the backside and that's what's happened tonight.

Lee Clark

08 Apr 2014

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